Legal Profession Act 1966 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 2B · Provisional Practising Certificates
23. Disqualification for provisional practising certificates, etc.
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2023.
A lawyer (NP) must not apply for a provisional practising certificate —
practising certificate
“practising certificate” means a certificate issued by the Registrar under section 25;
unless he or she is practising or intends to practise under the supervision of a solicitor in a Singapore law practice;
if he or she has, for a period of 3 years or more, held office as a Supreme Court Judge, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Malaysia or a Judge of any High Court in any part of Malaysia;
if he or she is an undischarged bankrupt;
if he or she has entered into a composition with his or her creditors or a deed of arrangement for the benefit of his or her creditors;
if he or she has one or more outstanding judgments against him or her amounting in the aggregate to $100,000 or more which he or she has been unable to satisfy within 6 months from the date of the earliest judgment; or
if he or she lacks capacity within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2008 to practise provisionally.
Subsection (1) does not apply to a State Counsel, Deputy Public Prosecutor or other legal officer of the government of any country or any territory of that country, if the Attorney‑General issues a certificate to the person and specifies therein the matters in which the person may appear and plead in courts of law.
officer
“limited liability partnership agreement”, “manager” and “officer” have the meanings given by the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005.
When the Attorney-General has issued a certificate to a person under subsection (2), the Registrar must issue to the person a provisional practising certificate specifying therein the matters in which the person may appear and plead in courts of law and the conditions (if any) contained in the Attorney‑General’s certificate.
Registrar
“Registrar” means the Registrar of the Supreme Court and includes the Deputy Registrar and an Assistant Registrar;
The other provisions of this Act do not apply to a person who has been issued a certificate under subsection (2).
For the purposes of this section, “Judge” does not include a Judicial Commissioner.
Judge
“Judge” means a Judge sitting in chambers in the General Division of the High Court;